In Search of Safety: Voices of Refugees

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that “We are now witnessing the highest level of displacement on record. An unprecedented 68.5 million people around the world have been foreced from home.” At this writing, fifty-seven percent of the refugees come from three countries: Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Syria. Over half of them are under the age of eighteen.

In the United States, offering safe haven to people fleeing war, persecution, natural disasters, and other intolerable conditions is a time-honored practice. The president, in consultation with Congress, annually accepts a specific number of refugees. The process for admitting these refugees is lengthy, arduous, and complicated. Many government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) work hand in hand to resettle individuals and families from refugee camps to new homes in the United States. Only the UNHCR, a U.S. Embassy, or certain NGOs may refer a refugee for resettlement. Then the vetting process begins. Here are the steps:

1. The refugee is initially screened by the UNHCR. Biodata (names, addresses, date and place of birth, etc.) and biometrics (iris scans) are collected and first interviews are conducted. Only the strongest candidates for resettlement — about 1 percent — advance to the next step.

2. The UNHCR sends its recommendations and referrals to the Resettlement Support Center (RSC). The RSC performs administrative and processing functions, including collecting biographical data and preparing the candidate’s file.

3. Security agencies in the United States — the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the State Department — review the materials gathered by the RSC.

4. Officers from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, travel to the country where the refugee is currently living to conduct additional extensive interviews, do background checks, and retake fingerprints and biometric data. The fingerprints are sent to the FBI, DHS, and the U.S. Department of Defense databases for enhanced screening. At the time this book was written, the entire process usually took between eighteen months and two years.

5. The refugee undergoes medical testing for tuberculosis and certain venereal diseases.

6. Once all the steps above are completed, the refugee is assigned to one of nine private nongovernmental organizations that work with the federal government:

Church World Service (CWS)

Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC)

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM)

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS)

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

World Relief (WR)

These agencies then take over the resettlement process. The nine agencies oversee about 250 affiliates — groups such as the Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska — that manage the U.S. portion of the journey.

8. The affiliate agency determines the best location for resettlement and makes the travel arrangements. Before the refugee can travel to the United States, there is one more screening by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.

9. Once the refugee arrives in the States, representatives from the affiliate greet the refugee at the airport and arrange housing, schooling, and other essential services as described by the participants in In Search of Safety. Because the refugee typically arrives with very few possessions, the federal government provides the local organizations with a small amount of financial assistance. The assistance is to cover expenses for the refugee’s food, housing, employment, medical care, counseling, and other services for ninety days. After the ninety days, the refugee is expected to have a job and pay taxes.

According to the International Rescue Committee, “Refugees must rebuild their lives from traumatic and tragic circumstances. The majority embrace their newly adopted homeland with tremendous energy and success. They go on to work, attend universities, build professions, purchase homes, raise children, and contribute to their communities. Ultimately, refugees obtain citizenship and become fully participating members of society. They become Americans.”

A refugee is immediately entitled to work in the United States. The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services website states that “refugees receive Form I-94 containing a refugee admission stamp. Additionally, a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, will be filed . . . in order . . . to receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).” While the refugees wait for their EAD authorization, they can use their Form I-94, also known as their Arrival-Departure Record, as proof of permission to work in the United States. After one year, the refugee is required to apply for a green card, which allows all immigrant residents the right to live and work permanently in the United States. (Applying for a green card sets off another round of security vetting.) Lawful permanent residents are eligible to seek U.S. citizenship after living in the United States for five years. They must be able to read and write basic English, pass a test on U.S. history and government, establish that they have good moral character and are committed to uphold the U.S. Constitution, and swear an oath of allegiance to the United States. (Applying for citizenship also activates another round of security vetting.)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016.” UNHCR website. June 19, 2017. https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends2016/.